Sales Interview with Skype

6 Tips to for a Successful Skype Interview

If you are an active job seeker you most likely have been asked to interview via Skype. This is becoming a new trend in the interview process with many companies. So if you are not familiar with this technology and are a job seeker, you may want to invest some time in getting familiar with Skype.

Among a variety of reasons, hiring managers are utilizing Skype to cut down on time and costs invested in interviewing. These days, employers are interviewing three times as many candidates for one role as they have in the past. There are just not enough hours in the day to keep up with the high demands of a thorough interview process. Remember time is money and the last thing a hiring manager wants to do is waste an hour of time interviewing an applicant after figuring out after 15 minutes they are not the right fit for the role. It's easier to whisk a candidate off the Skype call than it is to shove them out the door after they drove an hour and a half to get to the interview. So to avoid an abruptly ended call, below are some tips that you can follow when preparing for your Skype interview to make it a success:

1. If you have never used Skype, create an account. It's quick and simple. Start playing around with it until you are comfortable. Don't wait to do this an hour before your call. You know technology – there's bound to be a snag, especially if you are in a time crunch! You don't want to miss the call with a "Skype excuse." You may not get a second chance at it.
2. Be conscious of the environment in which you will be making the call in. Make sure there is no clutter, inappropriate posters or junk hanging in the background. Tidy things up. A plain, clean background is best. Also, make sure there is sufficient lighting.
3. 99% of the time we are looking at someone when we are speaking. With Skype your visual audience is yourself. With that being said, most people have a natural tendency to look at themselves on the computer screen while they are talking. Don't do this. You want to maintain eye contact with the interviewer by looking at the camera, not the computer screen. So practice, practice, practice.
4. Dress as if you were in a face to face interview. Wear professional attire including suit jackets, ties and the like.
5. Make sure there are no distractions. This includes but not limited to: kids, spouses, pets, alarm clocks, cell phones, music, and anything else you can think of. Also, make sure you mute your email alerts. You want to eliminate any and all interruptions that could disturb your interview.
6. Have a dress rehearsal with a trusted friend. How do you come across on the computer? How is the lighting? Are you looking straight into the camera? Are there any visual or audio distractions? Now is the time to perfect your skype call. Take it seriously.

The bottom line is be prepared and have fun with it!